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Monday, 16 December 2013

Plain Old Plug

Just a gratis plug for my favorite strap. Regardless of all the options available, I use the RF strap on cameras of any weight. It constitutes ironclad proof that you never need to spend more than $27 on a camera strap.

All the cameras I use regularly have this strap plus a light wrist strap. I don't like photographing with a strap around my neck, so the wrist strap goes on when I'm shooting, and I carry the camera with the neck strap over my shoulder.

I never let the camera hang from the wrist strap—it's just to prevent possible accidents*.

The UPstrap is the only strap I've ever found that's completely comfortable and never slips off my shoulder. Perfect stocking-stuffer. And hey, Jay Maisel uses 'em too.

Mike

*Being a full-disclosure type of guy, I once admitted in print to dropping a camera...and breaking it. A test camera. That belonged to the company that made it. And that was made out of plastic. Which shattered...took me a while to live that that one down.

P.P.S. 200 MJ-fan points if you can name that camera.

Original contents copyright 2013 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)Featured Comments from:

Carsten Bockermann: "Yes, they're great straps and I use them on most of my cameras. Also, Al Stegmeyer, the guy behing UPstrap, is a really nice and very helpful person!"

Aaron: "A few months back, I set my then two-day old X-E1 on top of my car while I was loading the kids into the back seat. I then proceeded to drive, with the camera on top of the car, to a restaurant about two miles away. We headed into the restaurant, at which point my heart sank when I reached for my camera and remembered where I left it. I ran back to the car and found the camera safe and sound, sitting on top of the car, on top of the rubbery part of the UPstrap. Pretty amazing. What ever that material is, it really, really grabs on and doesn't slip."

Mike replies: To quote Ed McMahon, who was probably still on TV when that review was published, "You are correct Sir."

And try not to spend all 200 of your MJ fan points in one place!

William Schneider: "I like UPstraps because they don't call attention to you. Just yesterday I switched out a garish gold-lettering-on-black Nikon strap for an UPstrap to reduce visibility. I addition, I must have badly sloped shoulders, and need all the help I can get keeping a strap in place. This strap works for un-manly physiques like mine. I just wish it had a quick-release feature to detach it quickly from the camera."

Comments

How does it feel on bare skin? I live in California, and use overpriced leather straps made in exotic locations, because the nylon straps that came with my cameras are either to slim, or have a spiky plastic pad that feels awful on my neck. I feel that most camera straps are not made for people wearing t-shirts all year long.

I'll second that recommendation. IMO, any strap that lets your gear slip off your shoulder is a piece of junk and should be tossed into the nearest trashcan. Although I mainly use Gordy's leather wrist straps for my cameras, the only strap I use for my Domke shoulder bags (which have removable straps) is the UPstrap camera bag strap. Mine generally loose their "grippy-ness" after 3-4 years but it's still money well spent.

Seeing how attached people are to their gear, I'm surprised how many photo enthusiasts just use the strap that came in the camera box if any at all. This strikes me as especially odd given the number of people who shoot exclusively handheld. The right straps can reduce the risk of dropping the camera and keep it in the ready position when "the moment" avails itself. While everyone's tastes and requirements vary, (I use the Op-tech neoprene SLR strap around my wrist and the Black Rapid R-strap across my shoulder) straps are inexpensive accessories with great value.

You're right - the UpStraps cling like crazy. Just TRY to get one to slip off your shoulder!

But that is also the strap's biggest irritation - try to get it to slide when you are bringing the camera up from your waist to shooting position, especially when you have a winter coat on. It sticks. You have to shrug it out of contact and then readjust the camera position for shooting.

Still I've used it on my Nikons for several years.

I got a "slippery" strap for my NEX-7 that goes across my body (around my neck) and I have to say it is nice not to have that binding effect.

Since I got a Brownie Hawkeye in 1955 I have never dropped a camera. Or a lens. And so, having tempted fate, now I am holding my breath...

Interesting - camera straps have been much on my mind lately as I try and migrate from using camera bags, especially the shoulder type. LIke you I hate wearing a camera round my neck, and I also hate wearing on my shoulder. I use a wrist strap (Gordy Coale) and hold the camera in my hand for walkabout mainly (my cameras are generally small-ish) but I've also gone back to the long strap worn across the chest so that the camera can sit under your armpit when not in use and can be slid round easily up to your eye. Of course this means no grippy shoulder pad, but you don't really need one used in this fashion. A by-product of this has been a re-attachment to the old every-ready case for my OM's and Leica M's - the advent of digital and zooms spelt the death of the ER case but it is still very practical in some situations

The Upstraps do their job on staying on your shoulder really well, but I stopped using them for a number of reasons:

1) The pad is extremely grippy, but it's also really stiff and bulky; this makes using them with more than one body (we motorsports PJs often carry two bodies around the track) uncomfortable and bothersome. Why? Because the of the stiffness of the pad aand the fact it can't be folded flat at the pad, they simply get in my way when slinging two bodies off my shoulder. Also, ironically enough, they grip too well. I've lost some shots because I couldn't get the camera unslung from my shoulder quickly enough-too grippy! LowePro makes a grippy PJ strap that is much softer more flexible, but grips just as well.

2) The stiff and bulky pad make them difficult to pack in an Airport International roller case. I need a strap that can be folded onto itself in several layers to be able to pack it and the body away neatly.

At the end of the day, while the strap stays on your shoulder, I found using them to be a pain in the ass.

I like a dual purpose strap: hanging from my shoulder ready to grab, and easy to wrap around my wrist as a wrist strap. The Up-Strap isn't so cool for the latter role because of the relatively inflexible grip part.

As a result my main straps are the same as Dave Jenkins (above): the inch-wide Domke straps. Great grip, yet very flexible. Outstanding.

I do a fair amount of shooting in below-freezing temperatures and have found that keeping the camera in a big insulated pocket is the way to go as you're skidding down ravines. Bags catch on things and full straps just don't make it in this scenario—too fiddly. What does make it are these wrist straps that are designed for point & shoots: a wide band across the back of your wrist that tapers down to nothing, well something, a very thin kevlar cable that is fixed to the camera lug and in 8 years of use has never broken. It's so convenient I even use it when it's above freezing. . . .

Nice looking I guess. But I'm all strapped out. My brief, but multiple forays into the whacked out Leica world did result in something permanent, a handful of braided leather straps made by Luigi, from Rome, he of the most disfunctional website before Obama's. Luigi used to make a double braid, now makes a triple braid, the former perfect for mirror less sized cameras and the latter for everything else. I cut off the pad and leather ring straps, put on round rings and just move them from camera to camera. The leather smells great and just gets softer over the years. Luigi charges some outrageous price for these, which is expected for Leica owners, but you only buy once. I get a kick out of using them on the likes of cheapo Panasonics and Pentaxes I favor.

I cannot stand a neck strap!! Never could. I have two very cool, self modified Nikon wrist straps that seem to be no longer available and for me irreplaceable. probably just me but I don't know how anyone could do with out such a necessity!!

I've dropped two cameras in my life - after day one of a two day job, a Nikon F slid off the roof of a car I drove away in (yep, forgot it put it there). Used the camera on the second day, hoping to the heavens it was working properly. No problem at all. Threw a Leicaflex up in the air, landed on concrete sidewalk after falling 8 feet (too long of a story, but it was an accident). Huge dent in bottom plate, dinged Series 6 filter ring, absolutely no damage to camera or lens functionality. I hate straps, I love bulletproof cameras.

UPstrap works on the non-square shouldered among us. It will NOT slide off. Your shoulders and back can relax and you can walk upright not fighting against strap slide. And no giant logo on the strap - very low key.